It is well known to hot press cellulose sheets (papers) impregnated in phenol or melamine (or similar-resins) with wooden boards or panels (plus other components specified by the manufacturer) to produce products such as boards, laminated boards, panels, and direct laminated floors that imitate wood, ceramic, and natural stone. Such imitation materials are mainly used for floors.
If melamine is used, and if the product is to have a single work surface (for example a floor), the melaminized board that comes from the press typically has a surface area between 3 and 8 square meters. Such boards are then cut into units (strips) approximately 1,200×200 mm. Each unit is beneficially tongued and grooved for ready installation. The result is a decorative and resistant paving that imitates wood, ceramic or natural stone.
Such known products have two significant defects:
1.—They are not very wear resistant.
2.—They do not closely imitate natural products (such as ceramic and wood).
The applicant has investigated reason why such products are not very wear resistant. It has been observed that premature aging (wear) begins at or near the perimeter edges and/or along tongue and groove lines.
The known products have an even (level) surface texture such that the user such as a pedestrian, treads (the soles of his shoes make contact) equally on the center of a tile on its perimeter edge. But, since the perimeter edge is the weakest area it deteriorates first.
The applicant has also investigated the reason for the second defect. He has reached the conclusion that if an imitation product is not a suitable imitation of a natural product, it is at least partially because the imitation's surface texture, both optical and tactile, have design errors.
In current products, a decorative surface effect is achieved by a design that is printed on an impregnated (by resin) paper. However, the surface texture of products with such printed designs is typically monotonous (flat) over the whole surface. This is because the press mold produces a flat surface.
Thus, while a surface design represents the different characteristics (line, color) of a natural product, the texture (relief) provided by the press mold does not match a natural product's surface level variations, both with regard to sight and to touch.